How everything could have been
by regina-terrae
Summary: This story takes place in an alternate universe, where Soujirou still met Shisio. But instead of killing his family, he was safed by Aoshi and Okina and brought up to be a member of the Oniwabanshuu.
1. Soujirou's Salvation Welcome 2 the Aoiya

**Disclaimer:**

**Rurouni Kenshin and its characters do not belong to me. This story and the orginal characters however are mine AND mine alone.**

**This story takes place in an alternate universe, where Soujirou still met Shisio. But instead of killing his family, he was safed by Aoshi and Okina and brought up to be a member of the Oniwabanshuu. **

This story is a Soujirou/Misao fic, with brotherly relationship between Soujirou and Aoshi as well as sibling relationship with Misao and Soujirou. Of course there will still be a phase of Misao's childhood infatuation for Aoshi. Hope you like it!!!!

**Chapter 1: Soujirou's Salvation, Welcome to the Aoiya!**

"Somebody, anyone please help me!!!!" the little 8 years old boy was screaming over and over again while running away from his so called 'brothers' fearing for his life as they pursued him with their katanas in their hands. Unlike the other times where he was 'merely' beaten up by them, they were seriously trying to kill him now. He had to escape them, because he **wanted** to live. 

The rain started punding mercilessly and unfortunately he slipped due to the mud on the ground beneath his feet. Resigning himself to the fall the little boy closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

'Oh no, now they will be able to catch me and kill me. I do not want to die yet, but I am simply too weak. Maybe Shisio-san was right:The strong live and the weak survive. Then again is it wrong to be weak and to still want to live? I know that I am weak but I do want to live. I don't know, is it wrong?' This is what the boy was thinking as he braced himself for the impact with the ground. To his surprise it never came and he felt himself being caught in two strong arms and felt himself being steadied on his own legs again. At first he thought that it was one of his brothers trying to hold him as the other one executed him but then the hands suddenly left him and he suddenly heard his brothers shouting and metal clanking against each other. So he slowly opened his eyes and what a surprise did he get this time.

The moment he opened his eyes he was greeted by the sight of his brothers trying to fight off two men, who were wearing navy blue ninja attires. One of the ninjas seemed to be around 18 whereas the other seemed to be pretty old and in his late 40s or so. The fight however ended in seconds and it was even easy for him to recognize that his brothers never stood a chance at all. It also surprised him that he did not see blood anywhere and before he knew it, the older ninja was suddenly by his side with a gentle smile on his face.

"Boy, daijoubu ka? Did they hurt you?"

"Ano, no they didn't I am alright really. Oji-san, domo arigatou for your and your friend's help but they will still kill me the moment they wake up. So… I… ano… it's okay. I just pack my things and wander off from here." Soujirou replied with his empty smile still plastered on his face.

Okina who looked into his eyes however knew that the boy was secretely wishing that he could have his and Aoshi's protection all the time, he also could see loneliness and fear in the boys eyes. That is why he gave Aoshi a questioning look only to see his Okashira walking towards the little boy, taking hold on one of his shoulders.

"Matte, what is your name little boy?" Aoshi asked. (REMEMBER AT THAT TIME AOSHI WAS NOT YET OBSESSED WITH BEING THE STRONGEST SO HE HASN'T BECOME AN ICICLE YET =D )

Soujirou was surprised to see concern and friendliness on the young ninja's voice so he answered him, "Watashi wa Seta Soujirou desu" he said this time with a genuine smile on his face. He also noticed that the young ninja has yet to remove his hand from his shoulder so Soujirou gave him a questioning look only to have Aoshi and Okina – who somehow managed to sneak next to Aoshi- smiling at him.

Aoshi then answered the boy with a reassuring smile before Okina finally answered, "Soujirou-chan, would you like to come and stay with us? I am Okina, but you can call me Jiya, and this young man next to you is Shinomori Aoshi, he is the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu"

"The Oniwabanshuu?" Soujirou asked with wide innocent eyes.

"Hai, the Oniwabanshuu – a large spying network in Japan. So Soujirou, do you want to come with Jiya and me? I would gladly be your aniki and we can be family – a real family." Aoshi answered letting go of Soujirou's shoulder.

"HONTO NI? YOU WANT TO BE MY FAMILY???" Soujirou exclaimed in joy.

"Hai" Aoshi answered, not managing to hide his grin.

"I do, I really wanna go with you. Demo… do you still want me to come eventhough I…" Soujirou suddenly lost all his cheerfulness and looked to the ground only to have Jiya lifting his chin up to look at the two elder men again.

"Eventhough what, Sou-chan?" Jiya said affectionately when he saw unshed tears in the young boy's eyes.

"Eventhough I am a bastard and my 'brother' said nobody would love or want or respect me for that." Soujirou finally managed to choke out.

Aoshi and Jiya were startled to hear this, not because they were disgusted by the fact but more because they simply could not comprehend how anyone could make the innocent and adorable young boy standing in front of them feel so inferior about being born out of wedlock. True it was rather disgraceful, but it was not the boy's fault and he certainly does not deserve to be treated the way he was only because of that background. 

"Iie, Soujirou! What they said is wrong, you are not less than ANYONE else. Do you hear me? We will respect and love you. And we DO want you as a part of the family." Aoshi blurted out once again startling the young boy.

Smiling hopefully Soujirou finally answered, "Really? Then can I become your ototo (younger brother)?"

"Hai" Aoshi answered and smiled, taking hold of the younger boy's hand. He then continued, "Ah, and by the way Soujirou, you will even have an imoto back in Kyoto at the Aoiya – the place we are staying at. Her name is Makimachi Misao, I am sure she won't mind if you call her Misao-chan."

Soujirou nodded excitedly hearing the news and so he wandered off with Okina and Aoshi back to the Aoiya, readying himself to meet his new family.

**2 days later**

"Okon, Omasu. Where are you? We are home!" Jiya said when he entered the Aoiya at midnight together with Aoshi, who was carrying a sleeping Soujirou on his back.

Soon after noises could be heard and in a record time of seconds two yound ladies emerged from the staris looking sleepy with hairs sticking out in all possible directions. Their sleepiness however seemed to be dispelled instanteneously at the sight of the sleeping boy, aka Soujirou.

As if on cue, the two teenagers took the now half awake Soujirou from Aoshi's back and screamed "KAWAIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" waking up the entire neighbourhood except Misao – miraculously!- and startling poor Soujirou out of his sleep. Before he managed to take a hold of the situation his cheeks were already pinched maniacally by the two ladies and his hair was ruffled. In the meanwhile Aoshi sweatdropped at the sight of the scene whereas Okina only gave an amused laugh.

After both Okon and Omasu settled down, Okina then proceeded in introducing the boy to them as well as to Shiro, Hannya, Beshimi and the others who - after being woken up by the rucus made – proceeded to the dining hall of the Aoiya.

"Everybody! I want you to meet Seta Soujirou. He is going to be part of our family now and of course part of the Oniwabanshuu. I hope you will give him a warm welcome and teach him all there is to know. Now, good night. Ah and before I forget it, Soujirou-chan, your room will be on the upper floor just next to Aoshi's. Aoshi will take you there, now have a nice rest and sleep well. As we have told you everything on our way here, your training will begin tomorrow."

Soujirou nodded sleepily but he still had a contended smile plastered on his face despite of his tiredness and so he followed Aoshi to his room to retire for the day.

**To be continued**

**A.N. Soooo people what do you think? Review!!! Review!!! Review!!!! Thank you =D**


	2. Shukuchi: Soujirou’s Gift From God!

**Disclaimer:**

Rurouni Kenshin and its characters do not belong to me. This story and the original characters however are mine AND mine alone.

**A.N.: Thank you so…so… much to everyone who read this story. And a special thanks to those who managed to spare sometime to even write reviews for the last chapter. I was so…so… happy bout having people reading it that I cried tears of joy. Anyways on with the story!!!! For those, who are expecting Aoshi / Misao pairing, I'm SO SORRY!!! I cannot help it, I just think Soujirou / Misao make a cute couple and I think that well they just fit together. But dun worry… I'll make the Aoshi / Misao phase rather long just for you**

Chapter 2: Shukuchi: Soujirou's Gift From God!

The next day, Soujirou woke up to find himself in a foreign room and it took him a while to remember all that had happened to him so far. He couldn't help to form a happy and complacent smile on his face and with that he decided to search for his aniki. With that thought in mind, he folded up his futon and piled it together with his pillow and bolster neatly in one corner of his room. After that he opened the window to let fresh air and the morning sunlight enter his room before he finally opened the shoji of his room to go to the room next to his.

To his disappointment however he found that the room was empty, and he then decided to proceed to the dining hall from last night to see if he could find any of the other people he saw last night and he was right. All of them were having breakfast together and Soujirou greeted all of them. But he was surprised to see a little girl with braided hair and emerald coloured eyes sitting on Aoshi's lap, he was sure he couldn't remember her but then a flashback came to his mind

Flashback 

_"Hai" Aoshi answered and smiled, taking hold of the younger boy's hand. He then continued, "Ah, and by the way Soujirou, you will even have an imoto back in Kyoto at the Aoiya – the place we are staying at. Her name is Makimachi Misao, I am sure she won't mind if you call her Misao-chan."_

End of flashback 

Realizing that the cute little girl was his imoto, he decided to greet her as well.

"Ohayo, Misao-chan!" he said cheerfully with a smile on his face.

"Ano… OHAYO, SOU-NII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Misao squealed in delight when she saw her new elder brother taking his seat next to her dearest Aoshi-sama.

"Ohayo, Soujirou" Aoshi said with a smile and then he took in the appearance of the little boy and noticed that the boy's clothes were tattered and dirty.

"Aa, Soujirou. You will go with Okon and Omasu to town later to buy clothes, I am sure they can help you in…" but Aoshi never got to finish his sentence as the two ladies were already screaming with excitement babbling about which colour would suit their dearest 'Sou-chan' and all. It took all of his will not to lash out in anger and he could feel a vein popping on his forehead, however, he managed to express his dislike of their behaviour in the next best thing namely by clearing his throat loudly.

"UHUM, as I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted by OKON and OMASU, Soujirou will go with them after breakfast to get new clothes. I want them to get him training attire as well and all that HAS TO BE completed in TWO HOURS and NOT MORE! After that, you, Soujirou, will be shown the way by Misao-chan here to the training ground. I will then train him personally with Hannya and Okina's help and no one is to disturb it. And…" but before he could continue, Misao was pulling on his sleeves trying to get his attention, which she of course did. Aoshi's features softened immediately when he saw her and he thus asked her what she wanted.

"What is it, Chibi-chan? Hmmm, did Aoshi-sama forget something?" he cooed, making the rest of the Oniwabanshuu- with exception of himself, Misao and Soujirou- trying hard to contain their laughter. After all, who could miss the chance of seeing their serious Okashira act like a gentle elder brother – or if need be – father? To Soujirou however, the scene that Aoshi and Misao made was not amusing in a hilarious way. Instead, he realized that he felt a pang of jealousy, as he never got to experience that kind of treatment himself, not even from his mother.

"Aoshi-sama… can I go shopping with Sou-nii? Pweaseeee???" she said, giving Aoshi her puppy dog eyes, which he -like always- just couldn't deny anything

"Aa…. You can go with Soujirou, but only if you keep on holding hands with him, Okon or Omasu, alright?"

Misao nodded and soon she was already jumping around the table telling everyone that she could go to town today. Soujirou on the other hand couldn't help but smile a genuine smile at her and he had to admit to himself that he started feeling fond for the little girl, who was his younger sister.

With that realization he continued his breakfast listening to the conversations held at the table, taking part in some of them, and breakfast went all well.

After breakfast 

"Sou-chan, come here!!! Why don't you try this, this, this…. And this!!" Okon said while passing a huge pile of different coloured gis and hakamas to Soujirou, who by the way still smiled his empty trademark smile though he was sweat dropping inwardly. 

Little Misao, who was walking hand in hand with Omasu, giggled at the scene that Okon and Soujirou made. It seemed funny to her to see Okon in her hyper state while Soujirou was following her as fast as possible with the mountain of clothes in his hands. 

To everyone else in Kyoto seeing the ninja lady, i.e. Okon, jumping from one spot to another within a shop -so that she only looked like a blur- was something usual. What caught everyone's eyes were however the smile which seemed to be permanently etched on the young boy's face. All of them –well except the Oniwabanshuu girls, who were too busy choosing the 'right' clothes for him – thought that his smile seemed to be rather disturbing, because his eyes did not show any signs of real happiness or joy. Many of them speculated that perhaps he was just insane; while others thought that he must have been put through tremendous pain to hide behind such an empty smile. Nonetheless they figured that it was none of their problem, the boy seemed to be content with his situation so they thought it would be all right not to meddle in his affairs. Not only that, people were certain that Shinomori Aoshi wouldn't be all to pleased to have strangers messing with the Oniwabanshuu household, so they kept their voices low while commenting on Soujirou.

Two excruciating and torturous hours –well for Soujirou at least- later 

A cheerful Misao, who was holding sweets in one of her little hands, slid the shoji door of the Aoiya open to reveal a smiling Soujirou, who miraculously managed to balance all the boxes and shopping bags in his hands, and chattering Okon and Omasu behind him. Like usual the two lady ninjas were talking about the latest gossips in the neighbourhood, and Misao was of course rushing towards Aoshi's room just to greet him and hug him, telling him that they're back from shopping. Soujirou on the other hand went to his room to put down all the things that Okon and Omasu bought for him.

When Okon suddenly heard a scream, which suspiciously sounded like Misao, she and Omasu halted their conversation to see what the commotion was all about only to be rooted to the ground – so were the other Oniwabanshuu members including Aoshi - as they stared helplessly in horror at Misao who was slipping down from the top of the stairs. But they were even more startled to see a blur of blue leaping towards Misao, catching her before she made any contact with the stairs or the floor. When all of them recovered from the shock, the sight of Soujirou holding Misao in his hands greeted them.

"Misao-chan, are you okay? Are you hurt? Show me your hands and legs. Ah… yokatta. Not even a single bruise" Soujirou rambled on and on with a face full of concern, for once lacking his ever-present empty smile.

While Okon and Omasu were already squealing things which sounded like "AAAA, KAWAIII!!! Sou-chan and Mi-chan look so cute together!" Aoshi and Okina were deep in their thoughts.

Soon, Hannya spoke up. "Okashira, the boy. For a moment I thought that he was so fast that he seemed to have disappeared from sight. I think he is gifted with or has been trained a God-like speed. Iie, more like a super-God-like speed. Do you think…" but he never managed to finish his sentence because of Misao's excited exclamation.

"Sou-nii, YOU WERE SO… SO… FAST!!! Where did you learn to move like that?" she asked animatedly

"Are… I don't know, it just happened I guess" Soujirou answered with a confused expression in his face, which he quickly covered up with his trademark smile. His answer was the confirmation to Hannya's suspicion; the boy was indeed very gifted. This made Aoshi think even harder, evident in his furrowed brows.

"Really? Mou, I want to be that fast too, but first I have to be as strong as you. Do you think I can ever be as fast as you, Sou-nii?" Misao asked hopefully, with her puppy dog eyes plastered on her face.

"Hahaha, of course Misao-chan. When you have grown up you'll be as fast if not even faster than me." Soujirou said still with his mask on.

The lovely interaction between the two 'siblings' was, however, interrupted by Aoshi.

"Soujirou, I will see you at the training grounds in 5 minutes. We still have the training, remember? Don't be late and change in to attire that is fit for training." He said with his monotonous and cold voice, indicating that he has changed into the Oniwabanshuu's Okashira mode.

"Hai", Soujirou nodded and scrambled to his room quickly to change. He was excited and looking forward to his training. Numerous thoughts and flashbacks were racing through his mind while he was changing and walking towards the training area.

Soujirou's thoughts 

_Aoshi aniki and Okina-san are surely strong. Shishio-san was right, the strong live and the weak… _

Flashback 

_"You are wrong, Soujirou. Your family treats you bad not because you of your origin. It's because you are weak." Shishio said_

_"The strong life and the weak die. The flesh of the weak is food for the strong"_

End of flashback 

__

_Are? Maybe Shisio-san wasn't entirely right. After all, they did not kill my 'family'. _

_But then… what is right? Unh, I'll just worry about that later. For now, I will just train to be strong._

_But if I am really weak, why am I still alive? Why did Misao-chan think I am strong?_

Flashback 

_"Sou-nii, YOU WERE SO… SO… FAST!!! Where did you learn to move like that?" she asked animatedly_

_"Are… I don't know, it just happened I guess" Soujirou answered with a confused expression in his face, which he quickly covered up with his trademark smile. His answer was the confirmation to Hannya's suspicion; the boy was indeed very gifted. This made Aoshi think even harder, evident in his furrowed brows._

_"Really? Mou, I want to be that fast too, but first I have to be as strong as you. Do you think I can ever be as fast as you, Sou-nii?" Misao asked hopefully, with her puppy dog eyes plastered on her face._

_"Hahaha, of course Misao-chan. When you have grown up you'll be as fast if not even faster than me." Soujirou said still with his mask on._

End of flashback 

__

_Ah, it must be because I am stronger then her. She is still smaller then me, yet nobody is hurting her, that must certainly mean that she is stronger then me._

_Ara, I better hurry. I don't want to be late for my first training._

End of Soujirou's thoughts 

After pushing all the doubts he had to the back of his mind, Soujirou rushed out of his room and ran as fast as he could towards the training area. There, the sight of Aoshi, Okina and Hannya talking seriously greeted him. Afraid that he wasn't welcome to disengage them from their conversation, Soujirou settled on standing still, hoping that they will notice him soon.

In the meanwhile the trio of the Oniwabanshuu members were discussing Soujirou's talent and seriously.

"Okashira, the boy's speed is amazing. He will be a magnificent addition for the Oniwabanshuu." Hannya said.

"Aa, I suppose he would. But we don't know yet which weapon will suit him the most. He is not as frail as he seems to be, and I mean, considering how his so-called family treated him, I wouldn't be surprised if they had made him do all the chores. Yet…" Aoshi hesitated.

"What Aoshi?" Okina asked, "I know you have your doubts in teaching him kempo, believe me I have mine too. Even Misao-chan started earlier then him. But it is possible to train him in using weapons like the sword and regarding his speed, we'll just have to train him in Shukuchi." He continued.

Aoshi and Hannya nodded in approval. Just as Hannya wanted to point out something important to the two other men, however, Okina caught sight of Soujirou.

"Ah, Soujirou-chan! How long have you been standing there? Come over, we won't bite" Okina chuckled.

"Ano, gomen ne. It's just that you were so engrossed in your talk that I was afraid that I am disturbing you." Soujirou admitted with a small voice, trembling visibly though he was still smiling.

Hannya and Aoshi noticed this, though not by Okina who was busy patting Soujirou's head saying it is okay, and that Misao interrupts them all the time and that they are kind of used to it.

"Okina", Asohi suddenly said, "maybe you can let go of Soujirou now so that we can begin with the training?" 

"Ah, of course Aoshi." The old man answered. He then turned to Soujirou and said, "Watch and listen carefully to Aoshi, Sou-chan. He is the strongest member of the Oniwabanshuu"

Soujirou nodded and looked up at Aoshi in awe, 

"Aniki, do you think I can be strong too?"  he said with hopeful eyes.

"Aa, Soujirou. Of course, as long as you train hard you can be strong too" Aoshi said and he was rewarded with a sincere smile from Soujirou.

"Now let the training begin" Aoshi said.

To be continued 

**A.N.:**

**So… what do you people think???? **

**Keep the reviews going!!! **


	3. The Birth of Tenken No Soujirou

**Disclaimer:******

**Rurouni Kenshin and its characters do not belong to me. This story and the original characters however are mine AND mine alone.**

**A.N.: Guys!!!!! I AM SO SO GRATEFUL for all the reviews and suggestions, most of them are really good, but I'm not entirely sure yet whether I will incorporate them in to the story. You see, unlike my other fic, I decided to be completely spontaneous for this fic. That means, I will write down the first good thing coming up in my mind. So I haven't fixed the plot yet… sigh… I know that some of you might find this entirely stupid, but hey… I need enough space to play with my creativity and imagination!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, I'd better continue with the 3rd chapter.**

**Chapter 3: Soujirou's Gift, Family, Training and Learning to be Strong: the birth of Tenken No Soujirou**

"Soujirou, I believe you do not have any experience with any weapons, right?" Hannya asked Soujirou.

"Iie, I only got to hold a sword once up to now, but I never used it." Soujirou answered.

"Hnn, in that case I want you to try out different weapons that we have here," Hannya said while stepping sideways to reveal a shelf full of different weapons such as katanas, nihontous, tobi kunai, shurikens, kodachis, wakizashis, etc. 

Soujirou was amazed to see such variety of weapons, especially because he couldn't even recognize most of them aside from the swords perhaps. And it was his lack of knowledge that caused him to think that he would have difficulties in choosing the right weapon of choice, but strangely enough, he felt drawn towards a particular wakizashi, which was sheathed in a deep blue sword sheath. So he followed the pull and took up the wakizashi with relative ease, considering that it was rather heavy. After admiring the beauty of the wakizashi for a while he positioned the sheathed wakizashi at the waistband of his hakama and turned to face Hannya, who was mildly surprised at how the boy could chose a weapon so fast, once again.

"Hannya-san, what am I supposed to do now?" Soujirou asked with curious eyes, not understanding why he was supposed to chose a weapon. Could it be tha Aoshi and the others were going to hit him if they disagree with his choice? Or could it be that they were going to be angry at him because he chose such a beautiful sword, which must have been priceless? He braced himself for the beatings, but they never came. Instead, he heard Hannya giving him a very unusual request.

"Now I want you to attack me with that wakizashi as fast and as hard as you can, alright? I will only dodge them and not retaliate" Hannya asked.

"Nani? But… I cannot do that! What if I hurt you in the process?" Soujirou gasped, surprised at the unusual request that Hannya made to him just now. Afterall, which sane person would want to be attacked by a sharp blade willingly?

"Maa maa, don't worry, Sou-chan! Hannya here is one of the best ninjas of the Oniwabanshuu. He is an experienced fighter and is very good, so you don't have to worry that you might hurt him. Just concentrate on your attacks." Okina butted in, clearly understanding the doubts running through Soujirou's mind.

"Aa, Soujirou. If you want to know if you are suited for the art of swords, you will have to do as Hannya said" Aoshi added.

And thus Soujirou had no other choice. He then took his stance, which to the surprise of the three experienced fighters around him looked alarmingly like the Battou Jutsu, and drew his sword in an amazing speed, missing Hannya by few inches, as the older man managed to see the attack in the last second to jump back. But he was far from safe, as Soujirou was already charging towards him, his sword drawn and pointing forwards, approaching him at a top speed. Hannya was forced to jump sideways to escape the attack. Just as he wanted to turn back to look for Soujirou, he was surpised to only be able to see a blur of light blue approaching him from above him and the most frightening thing is that the blur moved at such a fast speed that it would have been impossible for him to escape that particular attack. Shocked and prepared for the impact Hannya tried to jump back, though he knew that Soujirou would most probably still be able to graze him with the wakizashi. To his luck however, he found that Aoshi had jumped in to the fight and the later also managed to trap Soujirou's weapon in between his kodachis by performing the Gokou Juuji, thus blocking the young boy's attack. 

"That is enough, Soujirou" Aoshi said. He was still panting, probably because he had to rush at such a fast speed to be able to shield Hannya from such deadly attacks that Soujirou had just performed. Okina was seen to be standing by the side, deep in thought, though the surprise to what had just occurred was still clearly etched on to his face. After taking deep breaths, Aoshi finnaly managed to recover his calm and looked seriously at Soujirou, who by then looked not tired at all while still smiling his empty smile though with round confused eyes. The boy had sheathed his sword and was slowly walking backwards timidly. This caught Hannya's attention once again, but just when he wanted to speak up Aoshi was already screaming at the boy at the top of his lungs.

"YOU ARE A LIAR, SOUJIROU! NOBODY CAN PERFORM THE BATTOU JUTSU WITHOUT HAVING LEARNED IT BEFORE AND NOBODY CAN MOVE AS FAST AND DEADLY WITHOUT EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING! WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT? DO YOU WANT TO KILL US ALL?" 

And before anyone could stop him, Aoshi's hand flew towards Soujirou's left cheek, slapping the boy so hard that his face turned to the right and his body flew to the ground. Just as he moved to deliver another blow however, Hannya managed to restrain him.

"Okashira, don't hit the boy. I don't think that he meant any harm. Just look at him!" he said, pointing to Soujirou who was now cowering on the ground with his empty smile. Looking closer at him, Aoshi and the two others noticed that his eyes were cold and empty, not betraying any emotions.

"You said you wanted to be my family. You said that you were going to respect and love me, yet you act like my old family." Soujirou suddenly said, still grinning.

"I didn't lie to you aniki, I just did what Okina told me: I concentrated on my attacks. I don't even know what a battou jutsu is… if you mean the stance I began with, then I basically just imitated the stance I saw my brother and nephews practising with, I also saw Okina unsheathing his sword like that on the night you saved me, so I assumed that is what I was supposed to do. The head on attack was just an imitation of what I saw Shishio-san did when he killed one of the police officers, as for the last attack: I copied your attack on one of my nephews when you saved me. So you see, I do not have any experience per se, I just tried to copy what I saw" the boy continued, still remaining seated on the ground, smiling.

Aoshi though was still seething.

"And YOU expect me to believe that? Then how do you explain your speed?" the tall man asked, fixing a cold glare on to the boy.

"I… I don't know. It just happened I guess, hahaha, I mean it also happened when I saved Misao-chan earlier this morning and I didn't hear you complaining then, ne?" Soujirou said.

Aoshi stood there in front of the boy, not quite believing what he just heard. The boy, seemingly at a disadvantage here considering that he was surounded by three deathly men – not that Aoshi himslef was more than dangerous enough -, still dared to taunt him and moreover, that stupid grin pasted on to Soujirou's face didn't seem to falter for even a fraction of a second. Just before he wanted to make another move to punish the little boy, he heard Okina.

"Soujirou, why did you choose the wakizashi?" Hannya asked, trying to find the answers to the question, which had nagged his mind when the boy had grabbed the sword confidently, as well as trying to find out a way to change the subject.

"Ano… it's because I felt drawn to it for no reason, well maybe because it has a blue sheath." The boy answered, comically rubbing the back of his head in embarassment for giving such a silly reason.

For a moment Aoshi seemed to consider Soujirou's answer, as a calculating look crossed his facial features. But it didn't take long for the cold demeanor to come back, and Aoshi seemed unaffected by the boy's answer. It even seemed to both Hannya and Okina, that Soujirou's answer caused the young Okashira to suspec him evenmore as it was a very vague one. Realizing that the situation became even worse than before, Hannya finnaly tried to solve the problem by pointing out his own thoughts.

"You see, Okashira, I believe the boy is innocent, I do not think that he meant harm. Even you yourslef were drawn towards the kodachi during your own training and without any obvious reason at that. As for where his speedn is concerned, Soujirou is right. We did not complain about his speed when he saved Misao, we even agreed before this training began that his speed is most likely a gift, which we then agreed later on could be a very useful and advanageous asset for the Oniwabanshuu. As to why he could handle the sword like an experienced fighter, I am not too sure, but something tells me that it is possible that he is indeed gifted in the sword arts, a tenken (heavenly sword) in the truest sense. He seemed to be a smart boy, who is capable of copying techniques quickly by just having a look at them." Hannya said.

"Well, then there is only one way to find out." Aoshi said. "Seta Soujirou, if you can copy this following technique, I will believe whatever you said."

"Nani? Why should you believe me? Wouldn't it be even the more reason for you to think I lied about being a skilled swordsman?" Soujirou asked, though his confusion wasn't evident on his face.

"I will believe you because I just created this technique, so no other swordsman but me knows this technique. Even the most skilled ones need several attempts to get it right, so the only way you could copy it is if youa re indeed a tenken as Hannya said. I call the technique Kaiten Kenbu Roku Ren" Aoshi said. "To perform this technique I need you to get yourself a pair of kodachis. One slightly longer than the other"

And so, Soujirou proceeded to the shelf, to retrieve a pair of kodachis, which he could only retrieve after Okina pointed him out which of the weapons were kodachis.

"Demo, what happens if I cannot imitate it?" Soujirou asked again, after he stepped forward, kodachis in hands.

"Then… you will be banned from this place and I will personally hand you back to your old family" Aoshi said, this time getting a quite interesting response from the young 8-years old boy. The ever-present smile on his face did falter for a second, before being replaced once again.

"Aa, I see. Demonstrate the technique please, demo, you don't have to be too slow for my benefit. As you said, I have an incredible speed, ne?"  Soujirou taunted him again, this time without a smile on his face. Nonetheless, the boy's face remained emotionless, giving him a rather eerie look.

The taunting this time was enough to create a raging fire of anger in Aoshi and so he proceeded on demonstrating the series of moves of his technique that utilizes the kodachi nitoryu.

The technique was complicated, as it required precision in movement and aiming as well as accurate timings. The wielder of the kodachi needed to know exactly whent to move fast and when to move slowly. He had to have a considerable amount of agility, strength and flexibility. The user leaps into the air and spins around, attacking his opponent six times in a row, slashing in various directions with the twin kodachis.  
  


Soon the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, finished his kata and turned to face Soujirou, who was watching his every single move deep in concentration.

"So, Soujirou, I will give you one last chance to admit that you were lying. I will let you go unharmed if you say you are a liar." Aoshi said. He was well aware that Soujirou was a small boy and that he couldn't see himself punish that young boy as severely as he said he would, so he decided that he would allow the child to admit his mistake, but it seemed that he misjudged the boy, as the latter didn't show any signs of backing-off from the challenge that had been presented to him.

Instead of accepting Aoshi's last offer, Soujirou simply replied, "Ara, I do not think a ninja of the Oniwabanshuu would cast aside his pride in exchange of an easy escape. I am surprised that you even suggest it to me, _aniki_, especially when you are the Okashira and especially when you said that I was part of the family AND the Oniwabanshuu."

"You are NOT worthy of calling me your aniki, if you cannot prove your innocence and I will not acknowledge you as a member of the Oniwabanshuu until you have proven your worth." Aoshi retorted, seething in anger because he felt ridiculed by the boy.

"Very well then, Shinomori-san. You want me to prove my innocence? I will show it to you, now watch carefully, because I do not want you to THINK that you saw any mistakes. I guess, you will know that I am innocent by the time I've demonstrated your new technique. And… you will get to have a chance to see a TRUE tenken at work, that's a bonus ne?" Soujirou replied, taunting Aoshi once again. 

(A.N. hehe… I sorta like it when Sou-chan's taunting people, though I am not sure this character of his was already present when he was eight. But hey, it is possible isn't it??? I mean him smiling when his family is beating him is actually a tacit taunting, so I suppose that he is capable of taunting loudly when provoked, ne???)

And with that Soujirou, executed Aoshi's kata perfectly, with no difference what so ever.

"Ne, Shinomori-san, did you find something wrong with my kata?" Soujirou asked him.

"Iie, it was perfect." Aoshi said.

"That was brilliant, Soujirou" Hannya said, "You are very lucky indeed to be a quick learner and gifted."

"Hohoho, Sou-chan will definitely grow up to be a very good and important member of the Oniwabanshuu. Who knows, you might be the next Okashira, Soujirou!" Okina said, still laughing maniacally while petting Soujirou's head affectionately.

"My, my, the bruise on your cheek is certainly swelling up pretty badly, Sou-chan" the old man continued when he took a good look at the boys face. "Go to the kitchen and find Okon-chan or Omasu-chan and ask for ice, I bet it must be throbbing really bad, ne?"

"Iie, it's not so bad. I am used to it anyway. But I'll just go and get it, do you need me to come back here Hannya-san, Okina-san, Shinomori-san?" Soujirou asked, looking at Aoshi, who by now was rather pale and feeling guilty seeing the bruise he himself inflicted on his adoptive little brother, trying to find any traces of emotion or acceptance in the young man's face. He found none to his disapointment.

"Aa, it is alright, but can you ask Okon to bring you to my office instead after you get the ice?" Aoshi asked.

"I guess I'll be going there by myself. There is no need to burden Okon-nesan" the boy answered quietly while walking quickly towards the kitchen, not bothering to take on last look at Aoshi.

Once he was out of sight, Okina turned to face Aoshi.

"WHAT DID YOU THINK WERE YOU DOING?" he shouted towards the young Okashira's face. "Soujirou is just a boy, Aoshi. You would have realized that he was speaking the truth all along if you had thought clearly enough. He wouldn't have been beaten up by his family if he were a swordsman now would he? He would not have hesitated to kill his family the moment Shishio Makoto had offered him the wakizashi, nor would he have hesitated to kill us all, if he were evil. You are young and impulsive, that is your weakness, nothing that can't be fixed when you're getting older. While WE are used to your rather fluctuating temperament, Soujirou isn't. Kami-sama, that boy might have felt at home for the first time here. I guess, he thought that he was finally safe from all the violence, beating, mistrust and insults imposed on him and you, YOU had to scare him like that."

"I… I didn't mean it" Aoshi said, averting his eyes to the ground, which oddly became very interesting.

"To hell you didn't mean it. You were all set on killing him, hadn't it been for Hannya and me, he would have died."

"I doubt that… He would have survived, though most probably badly wounded" Hannya said. "Soujirou is fast enough to dodge the Okashira's attacks, but he wouldn't really now how to block them or retaliate. So he might get slashed occasionally. I guess, when that had happened he would have been smart enough to realize that he should just run away, not that it would be a problem for him. Besides, it would have been difficult for us to trace him."

"Ah, I knew you noticed it too Hannya" Okina said, leaving Aoshi confused.                                        

Of course the old man noticed.

"Aoshi, you're the Okashira and you didn't notice… My, my, you really are lacking experience or maybe it's just that you are rather muddle-headed today? Soujirou doesn't have a kenki."

"Nani? But how, why?" Aoshi sputtered 

(A.N. OOC I know, I know, but hey he was still 16, 17 years old… He's young, impulsive, teenagerish… So allow the poor guy to act like one of his own age… At least he's serious!!!)

"Okashira, if you just look at him. Soujirou is constantly smiling, it would seem to be a mask for his emotions at the first sight. His mask is comparable to your stoic mask. The difference is though that if you take a closer look at his eyes, then you will understand that he is not masking his emotions. He is lacking them altogether. The boy is somewhat damaged and I believe I know what caused it. I believe that the constant beating and scolding he received at his old home has caused him to seal off or eliminate his emotions subconsciously." Hannya answered him.

"The… beating…" Aoshi echoed him slowly and then it suddenly occurred to him that he behaved not very much different from Soujirou's old family. "Kami-sama, forgive me! What have I done?! I am sure Soujirou is scared of me now" Aoshi sighed, finally understanding what Okina had just tried to point out to him.

"Oy, that took a very long time to sink into your head, but I believe it is not too late yet to right the wrong you did, Aoshi" Okina said wisely, glad that the young Okashira was smart enough to realize his mistake and the impact of his wrongdoings. He was relieved to know that the young man was not as heartless as often suggested by his rather cold demeanor.

"I think I'll look for him and talk to him as soon as possible" Aoshi said hurriedly, running hastily towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile in the kitchen

Soujirou, walked into the kitchen - still smiling - to spot Okon sitting by the table, flirting helplessly with Shiro, while Misao was seated next to her busy folding paper cranes. He knocked lightly on the kitchen's doorframe and as if on cue, the three persons turned their heads towards the entrance to spot the young boy standing quietly there.

"Sou-nii, what happened to your face?" Misao asked after jumping off from her chair to rush towards him to have a good look at the prominent bruise on his cheek that started to take on a bluish appearance. 

"Maa, maa, Mi-chan. I am alright, Shinomori-san only hit me in the face after accusing me to be a liar" Soujirou answered, still smiling without betraying any emotions.

"Okashira did what?" Okon and Shiro said in unison, "why would he do such a thing?" Okon asked further, while kneeling next to Soujirou to press a pack of ice on to his bruise and to see if the boy had any other injuries.

"Ara, my attacks on Hannya-san went too well and Shinomori-san said that I must have been lying when I had said that I do not have any knowledge of the sword, but I hadn't." Soujirou answered truthfully.

Causing Shiro and Okon were left gaping out of surprise. Afterall who would have guessed that the skinny and innocent looking boy in front of them could be so dangerous? It was common knowledge that the only ones who could beat Hannya so far were Aoshi and Okina, so if the boy did say the truth, he would be comparable to Aoshi and Okina. That could mean that he has tremendous potential and would eventually surpass both of the elder man, if he were to be trained properly.

  


"Mou, Aoshi-sama must have fallen on top of his head this morning, Sou-nii. He usually never hits anyone except bad guys" Misao answered, trying to defend her beloved Aohi-sama.

"Ano, he did say that he thinks that I was a bad guy." Soujirou said thoughtfully. " But then maybe he hit me because I am weak and he is strong and I am a bastard" he finally concluded.

This last statement of his stunned both Okon and Misao. Misao was stunned because she couldn't make sense of Soujirou's words, whereas for Okon it was a rather different case. She couldn't answer him because she felt sorry for Soujirou, the boy just lacks self-confidence and self-assurance. Okina had told the members of the Oniwabanshuu about Soujirou's past and about how he was treated when he had been living with his 'brother'm last night. What Okon couldn't understand though was why Soujirou said that Aoshi hit him because he was weak whereas the Okashira was strong. How could the boy be weak when he managed to give Hannya a difficult time during his very first training? And why would the boy still smile if he should have been wailing or at least crying? Is the boy really disturbed?

Quietly she gave Shiro a sign to take Misao out of the kitchen and Shiro did as he was asked to. He approached the little girl and lifted her up to sit on top of his shoulders.

"Na, Misao-chan, let's go to the fish pond. We have not fed them yet today." Shiro said, getting a squeal of delight from Misao, who instantly seemed to forget the problem at hand. The little ninja girl laughed as Shiro carried her out of the room. Okon and Soujirou smiled at her laughter and managed to hear her ask, "But what about Okon-neesan and Soujiro-aniki? Will they join us too?" before the two were definitely away.

Silence ensued for a few seconds, before Soujirou reminded himself about Sohi's request to meet him at his office.

"Ah, Okon-neesan. Arigatou for the ice, I feel much better now. Could you tell me how to get to Shinomori-san's office? He told me to meet him there after I got the ice from you, demo if it's too much of a trouble for you I'll just try and find it myself" Soujirou said all of sudden, interupting Okon's train of thoughts, because she was addressed to so suddenly.

"Sou-chan, it's no trouble at all. In fact I don't have anything to do right now, so why don't I show you the way to the office myself?" Okon said, taking the boy's hand into her own, so as not to give him any chance to refuse the offer. She guided him out of the kitchen and up the stairs, while trying to strike a conversation with the boy so she would be able to understand why he thought himself to be weak.

"Soujirou-chan, how come you do not address the Okashira as your 'aniki' anymore?" she asked with a gentle voice, smiling down affectionately on the boy, who clung on to her arm as if his life depended on it.

"Ara, he said I couldn't call him that as long as I cannot prove my innocence." Soujirou answered, still smiling.

"Demo, you do still regard him as your aniki, ne?" Okon proded further.

"I think so, but I am not sure. Shinomori-san intended to kill me just now. Doesn't that mean that he is acting just the same way as my old family, would he still be a real aniki? I do not know, but I believe that they see the same thing in me: I am an illegitimate child, who only brings trouble and is a burden to all people around him. He must think that I am weak, that must be why he thinks I'm better of dead."

"Sou-chan? Why do you think that you are weak? And why do you think that the weak have to die?" 

"Ano… I… I… It's because Shishio-san told me that there is only one rule in live: The strong live and the weak die. The flesh of the weak is the food for the strong." Soujirou answered, looking up so that his eyes met Okon's. There was a confused glint present in his eyes, eventhough he sounded convinced. This didn't pass Okon's observation.

"Hmmm, you don't really believe that it is true, right, Sou-chan?" she finally said. She tried to give him encouragement to ask and clear his doubts, by giving his hand a gentle squeeze, urging him on to ask.

Finally after minutes of silence, Soujirou asked the question that had been nagging him ever since that fateful night, three nights ago.

"Okon-neesan, is it wrong to be weak? I don't mind being weak as long as I don't have to kill or hurt anyone else, whether they are strong or weak. Is it wrong for me to be weak and still want to live?" Soujirou questioned, this time with no smile on his face. He looked up expectantly at Okon, who know knelt beside him so that her eyes were at the same level as his.

"Iie, Soujirou-chan. It is not wrong to be weak and to want to keep on living, demo… it is also wrong if you are content to be weak all the time." She finally said.

This anwer appparently confused the young boy even more as he only managed one reply, 

"Eh, naze (why) ?"

"It is because everybody has a right to live, Soujirou. True, it is often true that the strong live on the expense of the death of the weak, but the weak and the strong CAN and SHOULD co-exist in a balance and harmony. The strong should help the weak by protecting and supporting them and conversly the weak can support the strong. There are many different types of strength: physical strength, emotional strength or you could call it the strength of heart and lastly the strength of mind. A real strong person is one who has the strength of heart and mind, but most important of all he also has a strong will to live and to protect life, not only his own but that of others, be it his family, friends or enemies. A true strong person will try to help those, who are lost and weak, to learn this truth. He is also forgiving and compasionate, sympathetic and emphatic." 

She stopped for a while to take a deep breath and allow the boy to absorb and understand what she has just told him. Granted, the boy was very intelligent and it seemed that the boy behaved beyond his own age. After she saw a small spark of understanding she finally continued,

"You see Soujirou, it is up to Kami-sama as to who has to die and who has to live. Therefore not a single human being in this world can determine who has to die or live, not even if the person is himself. Therefore, it is wrong to be content to be weak. That means you do not have a will to live, no will to help others, who are in dire need of support and guidance and love. That also means that you defy God and we all know that that is wrong ne?" she then asked smiling once again at the boy, earning a nod from him. She could still see confusion in his eyes, though to a lesser extend as it was slowly replaced by a glint of recognition and understanding.

"I think I understand most of what you said, Oneesan, demo I am still not sure if I got the entire idea and picture" Soujirou admitted shyly, a small pink blush and a genuine small smile evident on his face.

Okon patted the top of his face gently while straightening herself up before taking his hand in hers again, before she finally said "There is no rush to understand it now, Soujirou-chan. You have your entire life before you to finally understand that concept, even I still find it quite difficult to understand. I guess the only person in this house, who has understood the concept is Okina." 

Soujirou then grinned, "He he he, I guess you are right, Okon-neesan. He is so old and must have had enough time to…" he trailed off when he and Okon stopped outside the shoji of Aoshi's office.

"Don't worry, Sou-chan." Okon reassured him, "You are strong, how else would you have been able to forgive your families treatment and beat Hannya?" 

Soujirou smiled at this, "You think I am strong, Neesan?"

"Hai, I do."

"Honto ni?"

"So ka. Now, I know you must be angry and dissapointed at Aoshi-sama for hitting you, demo I want you to put yourself in the Okashira's shoes Soujirou."

"Nande?"

"Well for one thing you will understnd the Okashira's reason for hitting you, though I must say that it doesn't justify his act. It is just to give you some insight on why he did it, so that you know that he didn't do it with any mean intentions in his mind. And once you understand his reasons we come to the second purpose of trying to understand him, it allows you to forgive him and thus makes you stronger as well as him, because you allow both you and him to see the wrong in his doing and thinking. So do you think you could do that?"

"I… I…" Soujirou stammered, but before he managed to re-compose himself, the shoji of the office slid open to reveal Aoshi, who for once didn't look stoic but rather nervous.

Unintentionally, Soujirou hid behind Okon, not daring to come nearer to Aoshi. It seemed that he was indeed still rather traumatized because of what had just occurred between him and Aoshi. Aoshi's observant eyes though saw this movement and he then kneeled down so that he could take a better look at Soujirou's bruise, sighing while he did so because he knew that getting the boy to trust him again would be quite difficult. He also realized that it was not likely for Soujirou to be willingly left alone with him in the office, so he sent Okon away, telling her to get some medicated oils for Soujirou's bruise. And so he was finally alone with Soujirou, who kept silent all the time and gave Aoshi his empty smile.

Carefully Aoshi took hold of they boy's hand to guide him to a seat in the office, but Soujirou pulled his hand away hastily and remained rooted at the same spot he had been standing on outside the office. 

Realizing that the boy still feared him, Aoshi took a deep breath before he finally decided to speak.

"Soujirou, I'm sorry I hit you just know. I shouldn't have been prejudiced against you, it's just that there are a lot of bad people, who would galdly harm the Oniwabanshuu nowadays. I only did what I had to do to protect the others."

Soujirou only stayed quiet and remained standing on the same spot, looking down so that his bangs covered his eyes. Aoshi took another, deep breath and continued speaking.

"I know that you must think that I am not different from your old family, I did afterall hit you and said mean degrading things at you." He paused. "The bruise on your cheek must not have hurt you as much as the emotional scar I inflicted for you and I do not expect you to forgive me straight away because I know that such scars take a long time to heal and you must think that I am just like your old family and that I am not worthy to be your aniki and…" but Aoshi never managed to finish his sentence because Soujirou decided to launch himslef at the sitting Aoshi at that very moment, crying and sobbing into the former's shirt.

"I… I… forgive you, aniki. I did what Okon-neesan asked me to do, I put myself into your own shoes and tried to see why you hit me and I now know, that it must be because you wanted to protect the Oniwabanshuu members, who must be like family to you. I am sure it must be really heard for you to be on constant vigilance all the time, and I understand that since I am a new addition to it, you would naturally become anxious and protective when you found out that I could use a sword, especially because you are the Okashira and the one, who brought me here to the Aoiya." Soujirou said, still sniffling.

Aoshi was touched and surprised to hear such wise words and understanding from such a young boy and it caused him to feel even more guilty, for having doubted such an innocent and angelic person. He was even more surprised when he heard Soujirou's next words, 

"Aniki, I don't blame you at all and you shouldn't blame yourself either. If it makes you feel better, in my eyes you are a good Okashira and elder brother. You are different from my old family, you regreted hitting me and hurting me, besides you did what you had to do in order to protect the lifes and well-being of many people. If there is anyone, who is worth to be my aniki, then it's you, Aoshi-aniki."

These last words broke down Aoshi's defences, as tears of relief streamed down his face. Soujirou had forgiven him, he even asked that he – Aoshi – forgave himself. The words freed him from the grip of guily, as the boy seemed to have read his mind and emotions – something that only Okina and Hannya had achieved so far – and decided to relieve him from the burdens of self-reproach.

"Arigatou, Soujirou." Aoshi said, smiling at his young brother and suddenly he couldn't help but chuckle earning him a look of oure confusion from Soujirou.

"Eh, nandayo? Why are yu suddenly laughing? Did I say something funny?" the young boy asked bewildered.

"Iie, ha ha ha. I just remembered what Okina said earlier, you WOULD indeed make a fine okashira when you have grown up, Soujirou." Aoshi said.

"Ara? What makes you think so?" Soujirou said.

But Aoshi wasn't one to answer his question, but Okina was "Because, you are…" but the old man didn't get to finish his sentence because Okon, Omasu and Misao appeared at the door at that very moment and suddenly squealed "KAWAIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Aoshi and Okina sweat-dropped, while Soujirou was looking around confusedly and then asked,

"Nani? I would make a good Okashira because I am kawaii?" he then sweatdropped not understanding the logic at all, the others, who heard him ask that were laughing even harder now.

Finally after they settled down, Okina finally spoke up again.

"Iie, that's not it. Well, maybe if it's up to these three beauties here it would have been. But no, Soujirou you will be a good Okashira because today you have proven your worth and a wisdom, which is far beyond your age. Besides, you are strong, perceptive, compasionate, caring and genki." 

"Eh, you also think that I am strong, Okina-san?"

"Yes, Soujirou-chan. You are strong, not only in mind, but also in heart and physically." And Okina's opinion seemed to be supported by all of the people present as they all nodded in approval when Soujirou looked at them.

Soujirou could only gape, wondering if all this was a dream. Shishio-san had said that he was weak, but all these people thought that he was strong. He smiled at the thought of being strong, and he swore to himslef at that moment that he will try to become even stronger to protect all the people that are important to him and even the weak ones he didn't even know.

Aoshi seemed to read the boys mind and then said,

"Soujirou, you can count on all of us to help you to be stronger."

Soujirou smiled a sincere smile and nodded, as he stood up.

Aoshi followed suit and then said, "So what do you say about another round of training, Tenken No Soujirou?"

Soujirou grinned and then suddenly ran towards the door, "Hahaha, I don't mind but first you have to catch me first if you can, Okashira or should I say Ojiisan?" and then the boy in the blue gi and hakama dissapeared from sight as he ran fast.

Stunned for a while Aoshi could only gape, but when the message finnaly sinked in he took off running into the direction Soujirou was last seen running while screaming, "SOUJIROU!!!!!!!!!!! WAIT TILL I GET YOU IN MY HANDS!!! WHO ARE YOU CALLING OJIISAN? I'M 17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Meanwhile, Okon, Omasu, Misao and Okina were laughing so hard at the comical scene that occurred in front of their eyes.

**To be continued**

**A.N. whoah…. All the emotional stuff drained me… So what do you think??? I tried to make Soujirou understand that Shishio's belief is wrong in this chap, and well I think I kinda did a good job, don't you think so? **

**For those who expected more training, hehe there will be lots more of course, Soujirou can't do Shukuchi yet. You can still see him as a blur, ne?**

**I oso tried to make Aoshi and Soujirou really close as siblings in this chapter and well, I thought that Okon should play a rather motherly figure for Soujirou as Okina and Aoshi are the fatherly figures. I mean a kid has got to have both pternal andmaternal influence in his upbringing, hasn't he?**


End file.
